Newt Gingrich is a desperate candidate, says an outside group supporting Mitt Romney that has run negative attack ads against the former House Speaker.
The new commercial, which will air in Florida and South Carolina, is part of a previously announced multimillion-dollar ad buy by the pro-Romney Restore our Future political action committee, according to CNN.
"Newt Gingrich's attacks are called foolish, out of bounds and disgusting," the ad's narrator says. "Newt attacks because he has more baggage than the airlines."
The ad refers to the criticism Gingrich has come under from prominent conservatives this week who say his attacks on Romney's record at Bain Capital, a private-equity firm, go too far. Gingrich argues the criticism is fair because it goes after Romney's contention that he created 100,000 jobs while at Bain, but critics say the Gingrich attacks amount to an assault on capitalism and will help Democrats in the general election.
The ad goes on to criticize Gingrich for ethics violation fines, consulting work with troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac and a bill he co-sponsored with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that the group alleges would have given money to support China's one-child policy.
"Don't be fooled by Newt's desperate attacks," the ad concludes.
At a GOP debate this weekend, Gingrich blasted Romney for not denouncing the Restore our Future ads.
“I wish you would calmly and directly state it is your former staff running the PAC, it is your millionaire friends giving to the PAC, and you know some of the ads aren’t true. Just say that, straightforward," Gingrich said.
Romney has maintained that he is unable by law to coordinate with an outside political action committee, but that he believes the content of the ads to be accurate.
